Neither Here Nor Ther:The learning curve 03-14-10

By NICKI BRUCE LOGANHerald Lifestyles Editor

Published 6:00 pm, Saturday, March 13, 2010

Watching Todrick Hall go through the ups and downs of competing on a national stage, I’ve admired his spunk and determination. It had to be an emotional roller coaster for him just as it was for his family and friends watching "American Idol." To perform in front of four celebrity judges then listen to them pull your performance apart can’t be fun.

Through it all, regardless of his feelings, Todrick kept a smile on his face and thanked the judges for their constructive criticism.

That can’t have been easy.

In case you missed the series of television shows, the judges liked Todrick’s Dallas audition when he sang an original song about "American Idol," then disliked his next two performances. Mostly, the judges disliked all of the contestants’ performances, criticizing them for changing the song arrangements, then criticizing them for not changing the songs and not making it their own.

Still, the bottom line is that contestants were kicked off the show according to the number of votes they received.

I learned to vote. My friends laughed when I confessed in this column that I didn’t know how to vote either by phone or by texting. One friend e-mailed, explaining how to vote in detail. She added that I could vote as often as I wanted.

During the first show, I started dialing as soon as host Ryan Seacrest announced Todrick’s number. I got a busy signal but continued to re-dial. Finally, I got through after the show went off the air and voted and voted and voted.

I was on a roll.

By the second show, Seacrest mentioned that the lines wouldn’t be opened until after the show was over.

Duh. Obviously, I was on a learning curve.

In the meantime, I was hearing from Todrick’s fans who appreciated the coverage the Herald was giving his efforts to be the next "American Idol." A few thought we shouldn’t report on a survey that picked him to be eliminated. I encouraged them to read the article closely and they’d see that it was a national survey and that it was taken after the voting was closed. I also urged them to take the survey as a warning and, after the next show, vote as often as possible while contacting their friends and asking them to vote.

Bottom line, I learned that regardless of the judges and their opinions, when you get as far as Todrick did, it’s a numbers thing. Votes are tallied and those with the most get to stay. Those with the fewest have to go.

On learning of his elimination, Todrick was dignified and, to my way of thinking (I’m a cry baby), courageous.

After being told he would be leaving, he again belted out Queen’s "Somebody to Love," earning a standing ovation from three of the four judges — Randy Jackson, Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi.

Todrick’s background is as a dancer, not a singer. He took ballet lessons as a boy and performed with the Lubbock Ballet before moving to Arlington. After graduation from Bowie High School, he performed at theme parks and on cruise ships then moved on to Broadway where he was in Oprah Winfrey’s "The Color Purple."

When he got a chance, Todrick returned to Plainview, his hometown, to stage "Oz the Musical," which he wrote.

At the time, he told me how much having the opportunity to study dance and be on the stage meant to him as a young boy and that he wanted to give that chance to other children. He did, and at least 100 kids played the parts of flying monkeys and munchkins, experiencing the excitement of performing before a live audience.

Todrick has a big heart, loves performing and is multi-talented. I have no doubt I’ll be writing about him in the near future.